Professionals in the environmental domain require cognitive interdisciplinary skills to be able to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems. We demonstrate that education in environmental systems analysis allows for the development of these skills. We identify three components of cognitive interdisciplinary skills: (1) the ability…

Describes the process and outcome of including in assignments and examinations some questions requiring written answers along with traditional questions requiring only numerical calculations. Lists questions used in a chemical engineering course on separation processes along with sample responses from students. Student feedback indicates a…

Draws on the perceptions and experiences of upper-division students enrolled in writing-intensive (WI) classes in their majors at a large state university. Discusses findings as they relate to the ideologies of writing across the curriculum and writing in the disciplines. Suggests greater attention to a field's inquiry methods and strategies for…

As a by-product of a study concerning how university level writers develop new genres of discourse, a study was undertaken to examine what factors or dimensions affect the composing process of university writers. Six undergraduate students at Carleton University in Ottawa participated, making available to researchers information about how they…

Describes the problem-solving approach implemented in the University of Manitoba's first-year technical communication course. Considers technical writing as a process which can be broken down into steps: classify, analyze, test, and solve. Explains that this process offers students the methodology and flexibility they need to solve either…

This document argues that qualitative graphing is an effective introduction to mathematics as a construction for communication of ideas involving quantitative relationships. It is suggested that with little or no prior knowledge of Cartesian coordinates or analytic descriptions of graphs using equations students can successfully grasp concepts of…

Academic writing is distinguished by its being a problem solving activity, no matter how tentative the solutions. In this regard, writing about literature is a form of academic writing that shares the same assumptions as other academic writing. The problem solving activity of the literary interpreter consists of discovering, preserving, or…

Short essay questions are introduced into the calculus course as a technique to involve students with their own learning. Provides (1) instructions to the student for writing the report; (2) results of using the technique; and (3) reasons for using writing in mathematics classes. (MDH)

Describes a method of teaching geology and scientific writing to nonscience students that combines active integration of lecture, reading, and laboratory materials with field observations into a writing assignment on a real scientific problem. The writing assignment is completed in stages: a prospectus, a detailed report outline, a bibliography, a…

Second in the series "Reading-to-Write: Exploring a Cognitive and Social Process," this report looks at the different ways students represent reading-to-write tasks to themselves, analyzes the resulting divergence in their writing goals and strategies, and recommends teaching task representation as an interpretive process that continues…

Critical thinking skills were taught to students in a lower-track freshman English class through the use of cross-disciplinary subject matter. Given a set of three transmission electron micrographs, or photographs of magnified tissue used in histology and pathology, students were asked to support their conclusions on which two of micrographs A, B,…

The emphasis on writing in the teaching of mathematics and science can empower teachers to reach all sectors of the pupil population. The use of ordinary language can help break the cultural barriers that have prevented minorities and women from achieving well in proportionate numbers in these fields. This volume focuses on pedagogical issues of…

Practical ways in which writing was used in a college level introductory social psychology course are described. Rather than being used almost exclusively as a tool for evaluation, the process of writing was also used as a tool for problem solving and for producing creative and analytical thinking. Writing was integrated into the course in three…

Describes a problem-solving teaching method used in the Introductory Soils course at Iowa State University whereby students are assigned to groups and asked to serve as an advisor to a landowner. Using a computerized database for most data acquisition, students recommend farm usage and urban/alternate development plans. Includes the program…

The new edition of this classic book describes and provides a myriad of examples of the relationships between problem posing and problem solving, and explores the educational potential of integrating these two activities in classrooms at all levels. "The Art of Problem Posing, Third Edition" encourages readers to shift their thinking…